Just starting out on the guitar and I'm wanting to buy an electric. I don't have much money and would like to find one that would be cheap and good for a beginner. I've seen some Fender and Ibanez guitars that aren't expensive. Any suggestions? [Reply]
I will have to disagree with mcan with respect to Zoom. The 505 might be light and feel cheap, for a beginner that is not going to be throwing the thing around on stages around the country it's fine. Who needs batteries when you can plug the thing into the wall.:-) Yes, the individual effects are not as customizable as a professional would want, they are more that enough for a beginner, and the price is right. I purchased my 505 for practice purposes a few years ago and it has held up great. My main 'stage' effects unit is a rackmount Zoom 9150 that I purchased when they were released in 94. From the period of 1994-2001, we played an average of 115 dates a year (thats 805 shows), and the only problem with the unit was a solder point on the midi input. I have since bought a backup on ebay just to be safe, seven years is a long time, especially when you spend alot of time in the back of a box van.
Headsnap-
When the 505 first came out, we had about 10% of them come back for warrenty claims. Later, Zoom caught on and seemed to fix the problem, so it isn't as bad as it used to be. Then, we had a Zoom drum machine go bad, and we sent it back to the company for warrenty work, and they sent it back without fixing it saying nothing was wrong. We looked and it obviously wasn't working properly. We sent it back again. Then they sent it back to us with a little note saying they were sorry and they fixed the problem. (It wasn't fixed). We gave the guy a refund and sent the machine back for good. [Reply]
Here's the first one that caught my eye. I'm not going in any particular order here though.
This is the Ibanez S series. Specifically the S Classic series. (the SC420) I own one of the S series guitars from the early ninties, (S470) and this one is better than mine. The old ones were heavy and had a "flutter" tremelo. This one has a stop tail piece (the chrome where the strings meet the body). You will definately want a stop tail piece. Remember: NO FLOYD ROSE FOR BEGINNERS.
You should be able to find this one for around $600-$700. The hard case will run another $50-$90.
The pickups on this are the V1 and V2 humbuckers that Ibanez puts on some of thier middle range guitars. They are beefy, and tightly wound magnets that will put out a lot of sound. The neck is the Wizard neck that most people say plays pretty fast. It is slightly wider at the base than at the nut (the headstock). That makes is feel better in your hand. The body is extremely thin and light, making it feel great against your body (esp if you have a bit of a gut).
This guitar also has better than average tuners, craftsmanship, wood, and a five way switch (to get more tones out of just two pickups). Some guitars only have a three way switch. The switch decides which pickup the guitar is using.
The drawbacks are few, but some people think the guitar is too thin. There are those that feel like the guitar is too close to thier body and don't like the feel of it while sitting.
Another thing to check is where the guitar is made. Ibanez has factories all over. Most of thier guitars are made in Korea. This isn't all bad, as the Koreans are union and make decent stuff, but the best Ibanez stuff is made in Japan. I believe this model is Japanese. If you look closely at the back of the headstock, there is usually a "made in..." written in small black, white, or grey. Try to go Japanese if you can. Avoid: Indoneisia, Mexico, China, Thailand, etc... These guitars are made by people working for rice with the worst meterials.
If you like this one, but it's a bit pricey, you can always go one step down to the SCA220. It's similar, also made in Japan, but doesn't have the "wizard" neck and has slightly lesser pickups (the V6 pickups). It Runs about $100 less ($450-$600) [Reply]
I just wanted to give you an idea what the FLOYD ROSE tail peice looks like and brief description.
The Floyd Rose tremelo (floating bridge) is a tremelo that is NOT set against the body. It is balanced by springs and the strings and kept flat by equalling out the tension between the two. This is valuable for people who do dive bombs, or who want maximum sustain (how long you can hold out a note). It's a kick a$$ thing, but it's also a pain in the a$$. Beginners should avoid these like the plague. The picture here, also has peizo's built in so the guitar can simulate the sound of an accoustic. Another great feature and inovation by Ibanez, but still, not for the beginner. Ibanez calls thier floating bridge tremelos "the edge" tremelos. So if someone tries to sell you one, you'll know what they are talking about. Don't get one. [Reply]
Here's one that is a little better on the pocketbook.
It's the AX series. Specifically the AX125. I put this one on here because it has a hip shot, but we'll get to that later.
This here guitar runs around $300.
This is a nicer version of the AX120. Both are made in Korea, but that's not all bad. They are both very simplistic, and advertised as everything you need without all that stuff that you don't. I find that interesting, since it's one of the few guitars out there with these weird features like a hip shot, and they also make a "7 string" version. BTW- don't get a 7 string.
The pickups (ah3, ah4) are not much more than decent, but they are humbuckers, and will distort well.
The "hipshot" is the long chrome thing on the body near the low E string. It is designed for those who want to down tune thier low E string (usually to D). You just flip the swich and it's already there. You flip it back and it's back to E. No stopping and tuning. Great if you want to play Creed tunes. :-) Actually, one of the first guitars to carry a hip shot was Eddie Van Halen's personal guitar the "Wolfgang." If you don't like the "hipshot" idea, you can just get the AX120. If you want a nicer one without the hipshot, there is a version out there with a quilted maple top. (AX220QM) It looks beautiful, but isn't much better of a guitar and runs an extra $100. There is also a "Prestige" model, (AX1220) that is made in Japan and is decked out with all the niceness that you can imagine. It probably runs around $1,000 or more. :-) [Reply]
This is the RG421. It's pretty much the only RG that Ibanez makes that has a fixed bridge. All the rest have some kind of floating bridge, and you really don't want to go that route. Well, they make one other one, but it's really cheap. It's the RG170, that you can play untill you realize it sucks, then turn it into a lamp.
Anyway, the RG has a great body, and this is no exception. It is smooth and has great contours that are comfortable on stage or in a lesson or practice atmosphere (sitting). Again, the pickups on this one are the V7 and V8 humbuckers that Ibanez likes to throw on their middle of the road guitars. I believe this one is Japanese, but I can't seem to find this information, and I don't have one sitting next to me, so you'll have to do a little leg work. Regardless, I've sold many of these, and one of my friends has one. Actually, he had a differant guitar (more expensive) and he traded for this one because he wanted a fixed bridge (as opposed to the floyd rose he had). Well, I told him that in the first place, but nobody listens to me... :-)
The neck is the "Wizard II," and although I think it's a bit weird to have a sequal to a guitar neck, this one is really flat, really thin, and really smooth, which means... When you get there, this guitar will play very fast too. It feels great whether you're chording or playing that pentatonic stuff further down the neck.
Pretty much all the pieces to this guitar are better than average, and it can be a great guitar that you won't have to upgrade right away. And, as with any guitar, you can always buy better pickups and have someone throw them in there. After a few years of learning, you may want to put some dimarzios in this one to give it a bit more crunch, but I doubt you'll even hear the differance right now.
Originally Posted by : Originally posted by nmt1 I think I'm sold on Ibanez. Those axes are sweet. Just a matter of finding one to try out. BTW, I do want to play Creed tunes.
That's funny... I only bring that up, because my friends and I call Creed albums "More songs in 'd' minor." That hipshot is kinda cool, but it's not hard to down tune to D by ear. So, it's just for show mostly. Eddie did it so he could switch back and forth during the song. I doubt you or I could do most of that stuff.
For what it's worth, I think that RG is right up your alley. It's a shame that Ibanez doesn't make many fixed bridges, I wish I could give you more to choose from. If you play the S series and like it, than it really is worth the extra money. Just make sure you like the body style first. Personally, I love the thin body, I just don't play mine anymore. I play mostly acoustic, and blues so my guitar of preferance is my strat.
BTW-
I am a really big Ibanez fan. They are the most inovative guitar company out there, and they make fabulous instruments for a great price. They are distributed by a company called Hoshino. Hoshino also carries TAMA drums, which ironically is the most innovative percussion maker out there. They invented the double bass pedal! [Reply]
mcan,
You're my hero. :-) You seem to know a lot about guitars. I've been playing about 14 years and never knew they made a switch to do the "drop D" tuning. I can play a lot of Creed songs plus my band wrote everything in "drop D" tuning. I agree with you about the Floyd Rose tremelo. You should probably also explain that a little more.
nmt1,
The reason mcan is telling you to avoid a "floating" tremelo like the plague is because they can be a real bitch to get tuned. The bridge is balanced by springs and the strings and therefore when you tune one string, the others come out of tune a little bit because the tremelo gets off balance. It can be especially difficult for a beginner to try and tune. If 1 string breaks, the whole friggin' guitar is out of tune. I have a Floyd Rose II on my BC Rich Rich Bitch and I fought with that thing for years. I've got a Gibson Les Paul now and I couldn't be happier. I also have a Digitech RP 2000 effects processor. I like it because its got a lot of features and versatility. Of course, this may be a little more than what you're looking for. You may want to go with just a distortion pedal or even the Zoom. I would also recommend checking out the Pod Line 6. It seems to be a very poplular item now and I've heard good things about it.
P.S. I also have an Ibanez Gio(Fender Strat imitation) and a Yamaha folk acoustic. I play through a Rogue Tube Rider 100 watt half stack(good bang for the bucks).
P.S.S. I would recommend www.musiciansfriend.com . I've purchased a lot of equipment from them and they are very good. Plus, you can try it out and if you don't like it, you have 45 days to return it for a refund. [Reply]
I have had much better luck with the digitech stuff. It's not that much more money, but it's a much better unit. I can't remember the exact #s, but the 2000 is like two steps up from an $80 model that is MUCH better than the Zoom 505. I believe it's like the RP100 or something like that. A good unit.
One thing I am biased against, but some people really like em, are the Line 6 amps. I guess I'm just a purist, but I believe that the effects sound better when they come from individual pedals instead of processors built into the amp. In fact, I think that individual pedals give better tone than even the most expensive processors. Personally, I use a Laney VC50 Tube amp with a crybaby wah and an Ibanez Tubescreamer. I have just about everything I need there, although I would like to get an analog delay pedal at some point. [Reply]
Ok, I see all these ChiefsPlanet bands and I'm getting ready to spill the beans on something 37 Forever is preparing. I hope I'm not stepping on the toes of any of our committee members who have been pursuing this event....
We're in the initial planning stages to have a large charity concert within the next 4-5 months. We were approached by a gentleman that is familiar with the KC music scene and we're really interested.
My point is this - if any of the KC area bands are interesting in the exposure and tax writeoff from an event such as this, please drop me a note or head over to www.37forever.org/BB to tell us about your interest level.
